TOUCH PANEL

• US 20120169658A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Sekizawa, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel includes an upper electrode substrate having an upper conductive film formed thereon, a lower electrode substrate having a lower conductive film formed thereon, the upper conductive film and the lower conductive film being arranged to face each other, a spacer disposed between the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate along four sides of the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate, and at least one conductive part having a predetermined height and disposed in a vicinity of the spacer on an inner side thereof on at least one of the lower conductive film and the upper conductive film.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

an upper electrode substrate having an upper conductive film formed thereon;

a lower electrode substrate having a lower conductive film formed thereon, the upper conductive film and the lower conductive film being arranged to face each other;

a spacer disposed between the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate along four sides of the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate; and

at least one conductive part having a predetermined height and disposed in a vicinity of the spacer on an inner side thereof on at least one of the lower conductive film and the upper conductive film.

2. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive part include a lower conductive part and an upper conductive part disposed on the lower conductive film and the upper conductive film, respectively, to face each other.

3. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a decorative film is attached to the upper electrode substrate, and a nontransparent decorative area is provided along four sides of the decorative film, the spacer and the at least one conductive part being disposed within an area that is covered by the decorative area.

4. The touch panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one conductive part is situated at four corners of an area that is enclosed by the spacer.

5. The touch panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the decorative film indicates at least one display area indicative of position of pressing, and the at least one conductive part is formed in an area where the decorative area closest to the at least one display area is situated.

6. The touch panel as claimed in claim 3, further comprising

a display device situated under the lower electrode substrate to display a display area indicative of position of pressing,

wherein the at least one conductive part is situated at a position closest to the display area.

7. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive part has a first height that is larger than or equal to 50% of a second height of the spacer and smaller than or equal to 80% of the second height, a difference between the first height and the second height being larger than 10 micrometers.

8. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductive part is formed of conductive material, or includes an insulating material and a conductive material covering the insulating material.

9. The touch panel as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dot pattern formed of an insulating material, the dot pattern being formed on a surface of the at least one conductive part.

10. A touch panel, comprising:

an upper electrode substrate having an upper conductive film formed thereon;

a lower electrode substrate having a lower conductive film formed thereon, the upper conductive film and the lower conductive film being arranged to face each other;

a spacer disposed between the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate along four sides of the upper electrode substrate and the lower electrode substrate; and

a conductive part having a predetermined height disposed along four sides of the upper conductive film, the conductive part being connected to the spacer, and the spacer being disposed within an area that is covered by the conductive part.